"SMH once again the rules don't apply to Tom Brady" - NFL fans on Reddit react to league's new rule change

Over the last decade, the NFL has made a conscious effort to prioritise player safety, following medical research into the devastating impact of chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE).

Cynical fans may be quick to draw a direct correlation between the NFL's increased empathsis on player safety, and the multiple lawsuits that they have been forced to settle in relation to the matter, totalling billions of dollars.

Each NFL season seems to bring new rule changes aimed at enhancing player safety, and with the introduction of guardian caps, this season is no different. Guardian caps are a soft-shell helmet cover that has been made mandatory for offensive linemen, defensive linemen, tight ends, and linebackers in recent training camps.

Redditors have been quick to react to the new rules and the reaction has been mixed.

One redditor clearly didn't get the memo about the use of guardian caps being position specific, as conspiracy theories quickly began to circulate:

Others soon educated the misinformed readers:

The NFL's decision to only mandate the use of guardian caps for select position groups seemed to cause a lot of confusion, as some struggled to understand the logic:

A large group of redditors asked the following question: If they enhance player protection, why aren't they being used during games?

The look of the guardian caps led redditors to suggest some interesting comparisons:

Poor Peyton Manning then got dragged into the debate, with his head a particular point of discussion:

There was also the usual minority who mourned the loss of old-school, smashmouth football:

Are the NFL's guardian caps really a new thing?

The simple answer to that question is no. Eagle-eyed rugby fans will be quick to point out that guardian caps have a striking resembalance to scrum caps, which have been in use for years.

The Jacksonville Jaguars experimented with their use during practice last year, and they have been prevalent in college and high school football for a long time, including at the big five programs.

The response from the players seems to have been overwhelmingly positive. Buffalo Bills defensive tackle Ed Oliver had the following to say:

“You really don’t feel it. The only thing that’s weird is when you watch film they tend to slide up and it looks crazy on film. Other than that they aren’t bad.”

Oliver has previous experience with guardian caps from his days at the university of Houston, so already had a level of comfort with the product.

It appears that these caps will soon become a regular sight on NFL practice fields, but will we see them in a live game?